Blake Discher Taps into the Power of SEO - PPA Today

Blake Discher Taps into the Power of SEO

Professional photography and search engine optimization (SEO)...they seem like very diverse skill sets. But there is a connection between them, and if photographers can learn how to strengthen that connection, great results may come.

"I always ask my photography callers how they found me, and I'm amazed at how many say it's from Google or Yahoo! searches," says Blake Discher, a Detroit-based professional photographer and SEO consultant. "Because I am consistently in one of the top three positions for my search phrase, I get about 60 percent of my new clients each year because of good SEO. I think that number will only go up as more people become more comfortable using search engines instead of more traditional business search tools like the Yellow Pages."

Discher was a very early adopter of the Internet as a marketing tool for his photography business. Even though websites for photographers were a "novelty" at that time, he was already doing well when Yahoo! and Google got their starts. He was in the perfect position to stay on top of what the search engines were looking for in a website, constantly tweaking his own site to remain at the top of the listings.

Still, his business was photography--he simply used the SEO skills to
increase his visibility (and revenues). It wasn't until a trade
organization asked if he'd be willing to share his knowledge with their
members that he began to realize he could become a consultant as
well. "At the second such presentation, someone said they would be
willing to pay me to review their site," adds Discher. "That's what
really got it all started for me!"

Since then, he has been helping others tap into the power of SEO,
along with shooting for editorial, advertising and corporate clients.
For example, Discher pushes the need for relevant body copy on your
homepage, including the search phrase you suspect potential customers
would use to search for a photographer. If you do nothing else, that is
what you should do!

"For example, a wedding photographer in Baltimore might want to
optimize his homepage for 'Baltimore Wedding Photographer," Discher
explains. "And you should try this optimization technique even if you
have a website done entirely in Flash. Flash presents some challenges
when it comes to adding body copy as plain-text, but there are several
ways to work around that limitation."

Discher is ready to help you get optimized, so tune
in March 31st to learn how you can get your website more highly
ranked using proper keyword phrases and links, site design, and
copywriting that is search engine friendly.